VCAM1 and gastric cancer: Initially characterized in 1989 for its vital role in mediating cell adhesion in melanoma (Osborn et al., 1989; Rice and Bevilacqua, 1989), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 has garnered significant attention as a crucial factor for the development and progression of solid tumors, particularly breast cancer and GC (Chen et al., 2011; Kuai et al., 2012).